Barbara Shih

Dr. Barbara Shih is a Lecturer in Bioinformatics at Lancaster University's Faculty of Health and Medicine, with affiliations to Biomedical and Life Sciences. Her research focuses on skin biology, utilizing bioinformatics to study gene expression in development, disease, and aging.

Research Focus: Shih employs single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and microbiome analysis to investigate skin complexity. Key areas include hair follicle/fingerprint formation, host-microbe interactions, and molecular mechanisms in melanoma and chronic wounds.

Recent Publications: Work spans leukemia transcriptomics, West Nile virus phylogeography, and viral subgroup identification in Africa. Utilizes genomic and transcriptomic approaches to characterize biological systems and disease mechanisms.

Projects: Leads research on 'The role of Gli transcription factors in melanocyte development and melanoma phenotype switching' (2024–2028), exploring developmental biology in dermatopathology.